During my research I discovered an entirely new scene, and a
collective of artists who create both static and moving Glitch art visuals, on
and off-line. Just like Glitch audio works, there are again two different
approaches to this artistic form – natural Glitch and Glitch-like. Artists will
either work with naturally occurring Glitches and errors, whilst others will
force the Glitch, using techniques such as databending, datamoshing, and
circuitbending.
In order to create my desired aesthetic I would need to
force the Glitch, instead of working with naturally occurring errors. I found
that one technique in particular not only created a variety of easily
achievable Glitch-like aesthetics, but it was also an approach that could be
used to pre-Glitch images. Thus creating greater distortion, and further
removing the original meaning and context of each users original works. I was
drawn to this technique, as during the code editing process you have no idea
how the code changes will affect the image outcome. The interruption in the
original code disrupts the image, and the new file is the computers
reinterpretation of the original, as it tries to read and overcome the broken
coding.
For this experiment I took a
number of the record covers (used in other experiments) and glitched the
original image via varying forms of code manipulation. In order to achieve the
glitch image outputs I opened each of the images as text/edit files. In this
format I cut, copied and pasted large sections of the code, deleting some and
rearranging large sections. For some of these images I also employed the
technique of data moshing. For this two images are opened as code and the
copied and pasted code is mixed together to create new moshed version of the
original images. The manipulated file is then saved and reopened as an image
(jpeg).
These techniques are
relatively quick to execute. The more code that is cut and moved the more
glitched the image becomes. There were a few times during the experimentation
of this technique that I glitched the images too much and the files became
unreadable. I found that leaving a large section of code at the beginning and
at the end of the file made it much easier for the file to be read. Removing
huge chunks of code also made it much harder for the code to be read. This
involved a lot of trial and error and allowed me to test the limitations of
this approach. There are limits to forces glitch techniques and manipulating
the code too much pushes the files to their limits.
The new glitched and moshed
images become distorted versions of the originals. It is often easy to spot
within the images where the code has been cut, which results in blank spots and
pixilation. I found this technique to be extremely successfully and I was very
pleased with the images I was able to create. I am currently unsure how these
images will be used in the final orchestra, but I intend to feed them into
MaxMSP in order to manipulate them further, and to project them digitally.
I aim to use this technique
to manipulate both digital audio and video files with the aim of creating
similar outputs.
I knew that the
tapes editing of audio cassettes would be the most time consuming part of the
entire experiment process, and as a result decided to only edit two tapes.
Tape 1: I started
by carefully pulling the tape out of the cassette, and cut a large section of
the tape away. I then cut a small piece of clear tape (around 1-2cm in length)
and taped the two ends together, ensuring that the tape did not twist in the
process. I repeated this process over and over, randomly cutting out varying
amounts of tape, whilst trying to vary the distance between the joins. This
process was extremely intricate and very time consuming. It took almost two
hours to complete the entire tape. On play back I notices that I had left large
portions of tape untouched, allowing the tape to play the original audio. As
soon as the head reached a piece of tape that had been taped together the audio
would either speed up or slow, creating an interesting whirling effect to the
audio. Whilst the playback was extremely successful, and the technique create
some interesting and unusual audio outputs, I feel that the output could have
been improved by a great frequency of joins, and leaving less tape in-between
the joins.
Tape 2: Having
tested out tape 1, I decide to cut the second tape more often, leaving smaller
amounts of tape in-between the original tape. I believed that this would
improve the glitch output, and would result in a unique sound. Again, this
technique took around two hours. Whilst my technique had certainly improved, I
was cutting more, and as a result creating more joins. I tried to play the
finished cassette, but there were some issues with playback. It would seem that
the increased amounts of clear tape made it difficult for the head to read it,
resulting in the tape getting stuck. Whilst I assumed that the addition of more
tape and cut would improve the glitch, it instead pushed the format and player
to its limits, making it difficult for the tape to be played and heard.
In order to
incorporate this technique into the orchestra, I will need some further
testing. I think it is possible to find a happy medium, where the original is
still heavily glitched and still playable. My only concern is this technique is
extremely time consuming.
The next stage of audio
experimentation featured a number of CD manipulation techniques – Painted,
Scratched and Taped.
I used the following
materials to achieve my desired results –
- CDs
- Acrylic paint
- Small paintbrush
- Clear tape
- A sharp compass
Scratched CDs (1): I started
by using the compass to lightly scratch vertical lines (1 inch in length)
randomly around the CD. As I hadn’t used this technique before, and because
there is little detail regarding CD scratching techniques, I decided to use a
light scratch to see the effects.
Result: Normal playback - no
change in sound.
CD: Steve Thomas – Trade Disc
1
Scratched CDs (2): Again,
using the compass I decided to test the effects of deeper scratches /
horizontal lines (1.5 inches in length) randomly around the CD.
Result: Normal playback with
skipping and glitching.
CD: Tony De Vit – Trade
Coded Scratch: I used a CD
single (Gandam Style) for the next scratch based experiment. I found a digital
copy of the song and transferred it into code, and printed out the first page.
I then took this code and scratched (using the compass) as much of if I could
fit onto the CD with a medium amount of pressure.
Result: Normal playback with
mild skipping / glitching effects.
CD: Psy – Gangnam Style
Taped CDs (1): For this experiment
I took three long pieces of clear tape and placed them on the CD, making sure
that the pieces reached and overlapped the edge of the disc. This technique is
similar to that used on the vinyl experiments, as I was interested to see if
the audio output results were similar.
Results: CD – unreadable.
CD: Rock and Roll Origins – Homemade
CD
Taped CDs (2): Next, I took
small sections of tape (approx. 1.5 inches in length) and randomly placed them
around the disc ensuring that they were fully stuck down. I wanted to use an
alternative technique to test out how different amounts of tape would effect
the playback.
Results: Skipping effects.
CD: Janis Joplin – Pearl
Painted CDs (1): For this CD
I used basic white acrylic paint and a small brush to pain random patterns onto
the disc. To test the effects of smaller randomised paint marks.
Results: No change in
playback.
CD: Madonna – Music
Painted CDs (2): I wanted to
use larger amounts of paint for this experiment to test how more paint would
change the playback. I added blobs of paint that looked like black clouds; to
ensure a greater surface area was covered with paint.
Results: Glitched and
skipping effects.
CD: Various Artists – Simply
Swing
Overall: None of
these approaches were particularly time consuming, and most took just a few
minutes to complete. However, it was surprising to find that whilst some of the
effects heavily affected the sound, others had little to no effects on the
outputted sound. I was certain that all approaches would have an effect, and
was extremely surprised with the results.
I found that the three most
successful approaches were –
Deep Scratching
Painted (Black large
sections)
Tape (Smaller sections of
tape)
I intend to use all of these
techniques in the glitch orchestra, as they produced the most interesting audio
outputs.
Whilst the broken
needle of my tester turntable was an annoying set back, it did however allow me
the opportunity to test out another planned experiment – replacement needles.
This technique requires a change in the physical player rather than the audio /
visual format, which made this experiment a little different from all the other
tests I had planned. The changing of the needle was again chosen to test how
different material could potentially change the outputted sound. During my
research into Knizak’s work I discovered various needle replacement techniques
that he and other Glitch artists have employed, using a variety of replacements
such as toothpicks and shape metal implements. I decided to try both these and
a few techniques of my own.
I found some basic instructions here - followed these,
and set about making my own replacement needle record player.
Needle (a): Paper
Cone
To kick off with
I took an A4 piece of paper and rolled it into a cone shape with a sharp point.
I then borrowed a sewing needle from my girlfriend and poked this through the
point, securing it there with clear tape. I then taped the cone and needle to
the arm and started the record. This was extremely wobbly and didn’t work as
well as I had would have expected. At one point I held the needle in place to
ensure that it was in full contact with the grooves, and it began to pick up
more sound. The cone was working as an amplifier, yet the sound was extremely
quiet. As the cone was so unsteady, needed my help to stay in place, and the
fact that the output was so low makes this technique an unsuitable addition to
the glitch orchestra. Perhaps a thicker needle, thicker card, a larger cone and
stronger tape may have made this a little more successful. I will not be
exploring this option any as I don’t feel that the changes will make a great
deal of difference to the outputted sound.
Needle (b): Cocktail Stick
I started this
process by snapping a cocktail stick into two pieces and securely taped one end
of the stick to the needle arm. I placed an undamaged record onto the
turntable, as I wanted to be able to gauge the full effects of the needle.
Whilst this was an extremely simple way to create a new needle, there were some
issues with weighting. Because of the size of the new needle the balance became
off, and it was difficult to keep the needle down on the record. The needle
worked when I held it into place and added pressure, but the outputted sound
was muffled and crackly. The thickness of the needle made it difficult for it
to find a groove, causing the needle to constantly move around. When I tired
playing the needle without the extra weight I provided by holding it in place the
needle slide across the record to the end of the disc, and created no audio
output.
Needle (c): Plastic Knife
For this
experiment I used a disposable knife, which I again securely taped to the arm
of the player. Again, there were immediate issues with weight, and the knife
only worked when I held it into place. When I tried the knife without
assistance it couldn’t find a groove as it was too thick, and jumped to the end
of the disc without creating an audio output. The results were very close to
those produced with the cocktail stick.
Overall: All
three of the techniques I tried did not produce the expected results, and therefore
will not be used as part of the final orchestra. However, in the future I would
like to try this technique again, using a variety of different techniques. I
feel that there is a great deal of experimentation needed with this approach,
and unfortunately, due to limited testing time, I cannot dedicate any further
time to this technique.
This is the
second set of experiments that involve the manipulation of vinyl records. This
process involves the snapping/cutting of various sized discs into multiple
pieces and then taping them together with piece from other disc. This technique
originally featured in Knizak’s piece “Broken Music”. In his works Knizak
snapped/cut his discs into halves. I decided to build on this approach, and
incorporated 1/3 and 1/4 in order to create a variety of new sounds.
Snapped in ½
For this initial
experiment I began by cutting two different 12” singles in half. Using a cut
and paste technique in order to create a “mash up” of the two songs, which
would result in an entirely new composition. Unfortunately, due to the larger
size of the discs the two halves would not stay together and the two pieces
continually fell apart on play back. I decided to try this approach again, and
instead used 7” singles, as I thought it was more likely that the two halves
would remain stuck together. I began by trying to break the two records in
half. This proved to be extremely difficult as snapping did not result in a
clean break, which would make taping the two halves together difficult. I
decided to cut the records with scissors and this technique proved to be far
more effective and created a clean cut down the middle of the disc. The two
precisely cut halves made it far easier to reassemble the discs with tape.
Initially, I was going to use glue as an alternative technique to the tape, but
quickly found that tape was the better solution, as the tape helped to bridge
the any gaps between the two halves. I decided to use records from different
musical genres, as I believed that this would help to produce an interesting
result. I chose to use Breed 77 “World’s on Fire” (heavy metal) and Michael
Jackson “Thriller” (pop). I set up my camera and placed the record onto the
turntable, and was surprised by the results. The output sounded like two
different songs were being badly mixed together. As before, the needle slid
across the tape that was holding the two halves together and jumped to find a
groove. The sound would cut in and out as the needle jumped between the two
halves.
I believe that
this was an extremely successful experiment, and an effective way to glitch
audio. The audio output was unexpected, and is certainly a technique that I
intend to use again. I would like to experiment with other different halves,
but I am extremely please with the way these two songs work together to create
an entirely new piece.
Snapped in 1/3
This follows on
from the previous broken and reassembled record experiment. However, this time
I wanted to find out how the shape of the broken sections affected the audio output.
For this experiment I took the following 7” singles, cut and pasted them
together - Breed 77 “World’s on Fire”, Phil Collins’ “A groovy kind of love”,
and Elaine Page with Barbra Dickson’s “I know him so well”. Both Collins’ and
Paige’s records where cut into quarters and taped together with the half of the
Breed 77 record. Resulting in a 1/2 and 2 x 1/4’s.
Again the record
was placed onto the turntable and the results where recorded. I found the
result were very similar to the broken halves as the needle skipped over the
taped sections and cut between the three songs.
Unfortunately,
this method was less effective than the 1/2’s as the one half of the record
dominated the output, whilst the 2 x 1/4’s were lost. During the playback of
this disc took its toll on my turntable causing the needle to break off. This
unexpected turn has set me back, as I wanted to test all of the records on my
experimental record player. I don’t want to use any of the untested experiments
on my main record players, as I worry that they will cause damage. In order to
continue I will need to secure another test record player with a cartridge
needle. In the meantime, I intend to continue to create new discs ready for the
new player.
Snapped in ¼
Fortunately, I
was able to pick up another record player, allowing me to finish off the record
based portion of my experiments. This time I decided to use equal quarters, and
used the following discs - Michael Jackson “Thriller”, Phil Collins’ “A groovy
kind of love”, Elaine Page with Barbra Dickson’s “I know him so well” and Spunge’s
“Roots”. Due to the brittle nature of the discs it was extremely difficult to
ensure that all of the four quarters were clean cuts. This resulted in some
overlapping of the vinyl, which I assumed would be difficult for the needle to
deal with. I place the disc on the turntable and dropped the needle, and as
soon as I did it jumped off straight away. I tried again by placing the needle
neared the centre of the disc. The needle stayed on for longer, but it jumped
off after just a few seconds. The smaller the piece the more difficult they are
to cut and paste back together. As it is difficult to ensure the clean cuts of
the disc, it causes overlapping. The needle is just too delicate and cannot
move across overlapped vinyl. I don’t think the smaller cut will work for my
final project, as the playback time is simply to unpredictable and short.
Overall (Snapped 1/2, 1/3 & 1/4):
Overall I feel
that these techniques are an effective way of creating new “mash up” versions
of the songs. Whilst the breaking and reassembling of the discs produces a
unique result, I am cautious that the record playback time is just too short in
order to be effective. The unpredictability of the needle often results in the
arm jumping to the end of the record. Further experiments will need to take
place to measure if another cutting technique will produce more effective
playback results.
